Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. Exodus 4:2

The Launch
Several weeks ago, my friend Kim and I launched our #iaMStrong campaign. We teamed up on our blogs and social media to rally support, accountability and motivation to up our game on personal health and fitness. Kim was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a year and a half ago, and I was diagnosed about seven months ago. Research reveals that regular exercise and a healthy diet can make a huge difference when it comes to the symptoms and progression of MS. Determined to live a high quality of life, we knew that this was a goal we could not achieve on our own. The fatigue that comes with MS can make hitting the jogging trail seem like an all-the-more-daunting task. So far, the #iaMStrong campaign has served to help me a lot with my health and fitness goals (I’d give myself a solid B+ ha!), which is not too bad for the holidays! Best of all, I am experiencing more strength and energy. From barely being able to walk this summer to now running, lifting weights, and my favorite: attending barre classes, I have to say that I am definitely feeling stronger!

Medical Debt
Our lives are so good, and we are richly blessed with all of the things that money can’t buy. But, like many others, we weren’t quite financially poised for unexpected medical problems. Our debt doesn’t compare to what a lot of people face, yet it remains that our bills were really piling up. We knew that we needed to figure out a creative way to start tackling this debt. It just so happens that Kim and I are both graphic designers. The moment Kim sent me the iaMStrong wallpaper graphic, which is downloadable on our blogs, I knew I wanted to put it on a shirt! T-shirts are my favorite thing to design. I instantly knew that this would be such a great way to raise money, while also spreading MS awareness and rallying prayer support.

Use what’s in your hand.
When we are faced with life’s challenges, I feel like God often asks us, as he did with Moses, “What is in your hand?” God obviously knew what was in Moses’ hand, he just wanted Moses to notice the significance of what he already had. That staff represented his own mundane, every day work of shepherding: an answer that without a doubt he would have otherwise overlooked. Yet, it became the tool through which God proved to all of Egypt that he was with Moses.

Moses had his staff, David had five small stones. We have mad design skills. Haha! This is such a superfluous comparison and hyperbolic to the max, but you get the idea! The creative way we are going to get this debt paid off is to sell t-shirts- and lots of them. I am hoping that we will raise so much money, that we will quickly pay off the debt and then begin to fund MS research. That’s the plan.

If you would like to purchase a t-shirt, just click the link to the right! And, thank you so much for your support! We are forever grateful.

Be blessed!
Sarah Duron